Intestinal Obstruction Malpractice

Intestinal obstruction is a blockage of the small intestine (small bowel) or colon. Food and liquids are prevented from passing through. When not diagnosed and treated promptly, the patient can suffer a catastrophic loss of part of their intestines which can lead to perforation of the intestine, severe infection, shock and even death. Misdiagnosis of small bowel obstruction is a particularly high-risk situation where death can result and can amount to medical malpractice.

In one recent malpractice case prosecuted by Patrick Malone & Associates, doctors waited three days after the patient presented with severe abdominal pain before they did a CT scan which proved the bowel obstruction, and even then they waited another 16 hours before operating. By that time, her entire 30 feet of small intestine was black with gangrene. Because it was by then hopeless, the surgeon closed her belly without cutting out the dead tissue, and she died a few hours later. Earlier intervention would have saved her life.

This was a patient who had had weight loss surgery 18 months previously, and the surgeon failed to recognize that sudden onset of severe stomach pain in a gastric bypass patient can mean that the intestine has twisted itself against the bands of internal adhesions (scar tissue) that always form after any abdominal surgery. The loss of blood supply to a section of the intestine causes that part of the intestine to die.

Another case of small bowel obstruction handled by the Malone firm involved a young man who had adhesions in his abdomen from a car accident a few years previously. He too developed sudden intense stomach pain, and the doctors sat on it for too long until he died. This case also featured a misinterpretation of the CT scan.

Besides scar tissue in the belly, intestinal obstruction can be caused by many other conditions, including hernias and cancerous tumors. Intestinal obstruction can result in an array of uncomfortable signs and symptoms, including abdominal pain and swelling, nausea, and vomiting.

Consult with an Experienced Malpractice Attorney

If you believe you or a family member has been seriously injured from medical malpractice, medical error, or neglect by a doctor, hospital, nurse, clinic, nursing home or other health care provider, you may want to click here to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney for a free evaluation of your case. You can also email us at info@patrickmalonelaw.com or call us at 202-742-1500 or 888-625-6635 toll-free. We will respond within 24 hours. There is no charge for our initial consultation.

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